Because of you…
Youth for Christ ministry is being developed in Malawi and using the following ministries to reach young people:
- True Love Waits
- School Bible clubs
- Outreaches
- One week youth camps once every year
- Leadership seminars in churches and community organisations
- Children’s ministry
- Operation Hannah
Prayer Needs
- God’s direction for the Regional Director as he helps guide the ministry.
- Wisdom in selecting people to join the ministry of Youth for Christ.
- Salvation of young people in this nation.
- Funding to support the ministry.
About Malawi
Malawi
Introduction
Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution that came into full effect the following year. Current President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor and subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2005. As president, MUTHARIKA has overseen economic improvement but because of political deadlock in the legislature, his minority party has been unable to pass significant legislation, and anti-corruption measures have stalled. Population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, corruption, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for Malawi. MUTHARIKA was reelected to a second term in May 2009.
Geography
Location
Location: Southern Africa, east of Zambia
Geographic Coordinates: 13 30 S, 34 00 E
Area
Total Area: 118,484 sq km Rank: 99
Land Area: 94,080 sq km
Water Area: 24,404 sq km
Comparison: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Land Boundaries: 2,881 km
Bordering Countries: Mozambique 1,569 km, Tanzania 475 km, Zambia 837 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Climate
sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May); dry season (May to November)
Terrain
narrow elongated plateau with rolling plains, rounded hills, some mountains
Elevations
Lowest Point: junction of the Shire River and international boundary with Mozambique 37 m
Highest Point: Sapitwa (Mount Mlanje) 3,002 m
Natural Resources
limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite
Land Use
Arable land: 20.68%
Permanent Crops: 1.18%
Other: 78.14% (2005)
Irrigated Land: 560 sq km (2003)
Renewable Water Resources: 17.3 cu km (2001)
Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 1.01 cu km/yr (15%/5%/80%)
Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 78 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment
Natural Hazards: NA
Environmental Issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations
Environmental Agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Geography Notes
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's most prominent physical feature
People
Population: 15,028,757 Rank: 64
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years: 45.4% (male 3,419,711/female 3,404,726)
15-64 years: 51.9% (male 3,889,065/female 3,915,309)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 172,679/female 227,267) (2010 est.)
Median Age: 17 years
Population Growth
Growth Rate: 2.746% (2010 est.) Rank: 21
Birth Rate: 41.68 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 11
Death Rate: 14.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 20
Net Migration Rate: NA
Urbanization
Urban Population: 19% of total population (2008)
Rate of Urbanization: 5.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Life and Death
Infant Mortality Rate: 86.01 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 12
Life Expectancy at Birth: 50.03 years Rank: 210
Fertility Rate: 5.51 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 14
Health and Disease
HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate: 11.9% (2007 est.) Rank: 9
People living with HIV/AIDS: 930,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 15
HIV/AIDS Deaths: 68,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 10
Degree of Risk for Major Infectious Diseases: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne Diseases: malaria and plague
Water Contact Diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal Contact Diseases: rabies (2009)
Nationality and Culture
Noun: Malawian(s)
Adjective: Malawian
Ethnic Groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
Religion: Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)
Languages: Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%, Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%, Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)
Education
Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 62.7% Male: 76.1% Female: 49.8% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 9 years Male: 10 years Female: 9 years (2004)
Education expenditures: 5.8% of GDP (2003) Rank: 44
Government
Country Name
Conventional Long Form: Republic of Malawi
Conventional Short Form: Malawi
Local Long Form: Dziko la Malawi
Local Short Form: Malawi
Formerly: British Central African Protectorate, Nyasaland Protectorate, Nyasaland
Government Type: multiparty democracy
Capital: Lilongwe Geographic Coordinates: 13 59 S, 33 47 E
Administrative divisions
28 districts; Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Chitipa, Dedza, Dowa, Karonga, Kasungu, Likoma, Lilongwe, Machinga (Kasupe), Mangochi, Mchinji, Mulanje, Mwanza, Mzimba, Neno, Ntcheu, Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Ntchisi, Phalombe, Rumphi, Salima, Thyolo, Zomba
Independence: 6 July 1964 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day (Republic Day), 6 July (1964)
Constitution: 18 May 1994
Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of State: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of Government: President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA (since 24 May 2004)
Cabinet: 46-member Cabinet named by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 19 May 2009 (next to be held in May 2014)
Election Results: Bingu wa MUTHARIKA elected president; percent of vote - Bingu wa MUTHARIKA 66%, John TEMBO 30.7%, other 3.3%
Legislative Branch
unicameral National Assembly (193 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 19 May 2009 (next to be held in May 2014)
Election Results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DPP 114, MCP 26, UDF 17, independents 32, other 4
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Appeal; High Court (chief justice appointed by the president, puisne judges appointed on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission); magistrate's courts
Politics
Political Parties and Leaders: Alliance for Democracy or AFORD [Dindi NYASULU]; Congress of Democrats or CODE [Ralph KASAMBARA]; Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [Bingu wa MUTHARIKA]; Malawi Congress Party or MCP [John TEMBO]; Malawi Democratic Party or MDP [Kampelo KALUA]; Malawi Forum for Unity and Development or MAFUNDE [George MNESA]; Maravi People's Party [Uladi MUSSA]; National Unity Party or NUP [Harry CHIUME]; New Rainbow Coalition Party [Beatrice MWALE]; New Republican Party [Gwanda CHAKUWAMBA]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Aleke BANDA]; People's Transformation Movement or PETRA [Kamuzu CHIBAMBO]; Republican Party or RP [Stanley MASAULI]; United Democratic Front or UDF [Bakili MULUZI]; United Democratic Party [Kenedy KALAMBO]
Political Pressure Groups and Leaders: Agri-Ecology Media (agriculture and environmental group); Council for NGOs in Malawi or CONGOMA (human rights, democracy, and development); Human Rights Consultative Committee or HRCC (human rights); Malawi Law Society (human rights and law reform); Malawi Movement for the Restoration of Democracy or MMRD (acts to restore and maintain democracy); Public Affairs Committee or PAC (promotes democracy, development, peace and unity)
International Organization Participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, MONUC, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Flag Description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), black, and green; a white sun disc is centered on the black band, its surrounding 45 white rays extend partially into the red and green bands; black represents the native peoples, red the blood shed in their struggle for freedom, and green the color of nature; the sun represents Malawi's economic progress since attaining independence
Economy
Economy Overview: Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's most densely populated and least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for more than one-third of GDP and 90% of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. In December 2007, the US granted Malawi eligibility status to receive financial support within the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) initiative. The government faces many challenges including developing a market economy, improving educational facilities, facing up to environmental problems, dealing with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS, and satisfying foreign donors that fiscal discipline is being tightened. Since 2005 President MUTHARIKA'S government has exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE and signed a three year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility worth $56 million with the IMF. Improved relations with the IMF lead other international donors to resume aid as well. In 2009, however, Malawi experienced some setbacks, including a general shortage of foreign exchange, which has damaged its ability to pay for imports. Investment fell 23% in 2009. The government has failed to address barriers to investment such as unreliable power, water shortages, poor telecommunications infrastructure, and the high costs of services.
Gross Domestic Product
GDP (purchasing power parity): $12.52 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 141
GDP - real growth rate: 7.6% (2009 est.) Rank: 8
GDP - per capita (PPP): $800 (2009 est.) Rank: 220
GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 35.1% Industry: 19.8% Services: 45.1% (2009 est.)
Labor Force
Labor Force: 5.747 million (2007 est.) Rank: 65
Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 90% Industry and Services: 10% (2003 est.)
Unemployment Rate: NA
Poverty
Population below poverty line: 53% (2004)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: disputes with Tanzania over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi) and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant
